Locomotive head-light



7 (No Model.) 7

E. L'.HA,LL.

LOOOMOTIVE HEAD LIGHT.

Patented Dec. 9; 1884,.

Uniinn Srri'ras PATENT arina EDW'IN L. HALL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

LQCOWlOTlVE HEAD=LIGHT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 309,0rl, dated December 9,1882.

(No model.)

To (LZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN L. ILILL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Locomotive Head- Lights, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of locomotive head-lights which have in the 013130 site sides plates carrying the number or name of the locomotive or other information which it is desired to convey to signal-men, traindispatchers, &c., these plates being translucent or cut in the same manner as stencils, so that at night they can be illuminated in order to render the number visible, and a reflectingplate being placed in the rear of each name-plate, so as to throw onto the latter the rays of light reflected back from the front portion of the lantern.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a sectional perspective view of a locomotive head-light constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a side view; Fig. 3, a sectional plan on the line 1 2, Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a'

t ansverse section on the line 3 4, Fig. 2, and Figs. 5 and 6 views of part of a head-light, showing modifications of one of the features of my invention.

So far as the general construction of the head-light is concerned it is similar to those in common use, A being the casing; I3, the dome; D, the lamp; 1*, the reflector; G, the front glass, and II II the side doors carrying the number-plates I. A reflecting medium is placed in front of the main reflector F of the lantern, this reflecting medium serving to throw back toward the number-plate sufficient light to effect the proper illumination of the same. I prefer to use the front glass, G, of the head-light as the medium for the performance of this duty, although, if desired, special rei'lecting-plates G may be arranged, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, for the purpose.

In order to still further illuminate the number-plat s, I secure to the inner side of each door II a supplementary reflector, J, which serves to throw back onto the number-plate any of the rays reflected inward from the inner face of said plate, the latter and the re f fleetor J thus acting reciprocally to prevent the dissipation and loss of these rays. This supplementary reflector -may be either rightangled, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, or inclined, as shown in Fig. 5.

In place of using ground glass for the num her-plates, I use thin slabs or tiles of porce lain or white glass, on the face of which I paint a ground of some dark color, the de sired number being outlined bythe ground; or the number may be painted in a dark color upon the slab or tile, the ground being plain. A number-plate of this character is preferable to a ground glass plate, because the clear white of the slab forms such a sharp contrast to the dark paint of the number or background that said number is plainly visible during the day, or when, as at twilight, the light of the lantern is not so much stronger than the daylight as to insure the proper illumination of the number, the same contrast of black and white being also presented at night when the light is derived entirely from the lantern.

The white glass or porcelain nameplate is the essential feature or my invention, as patents have been heretofore granted showing the use of reflectors of substantially the form shown in this application combined with the name plates; but such name-plates have been made of plain or ground glass. Not only is a slab or tile of porcelain or white glass preferable to a plain or ground glass plate for the reasons given above, but it also provides a much bet ter medium for reflecting onto the back plate the rays of light entering the reflecting-chain her or thrown outward from the said back plate, this reciprocal reflection being carried to such an extent that all portions of the name-plate are effectively illuminated.

In a head-light in which the space between the reflector and the sides of the casing is limited the number-plate may occupy a higher position than that shown in Figs. 1 to 5, so that the reflector J may be located in the upper corner of the casing as shown in Fig. 6.

In addition to the reflector J on the inside of each door I-I,there are top, bottom, and end plates, J, also by preference of reflecting material, so that behind each numbenplate is a space closed, except at the front, there being thus no chance for the loss of any rays of light, l tially as described, for directing rays of light 10 the reflection of which may serve to illnniiinto the open end of said space, as set forth.

nate the number'plate. In testimony whereof I have signed my name I claim as my invention' to this specification in the presence of two sub- The combination of the casing of the headscribing Witnesses.

light the number-plates I, consisting of slabs or tiles of white glass or porcelain, reflecting- Witnesses:

plates forming a partially-inclosed space be- J OHN M. CLAYTON,

hind each number-plate, and means, substan- EDXVIN L. HALL.

HARRY SMITH. 

